


Waiting To Be Known

by Brumeier



Series: Bite Sized Fic 2019 [10]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, First Kiss, M/M, Prompt Fill, Terraforming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-15 18:57:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18675535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: LJ Comment Fic for Random AO3 Tags prompt:Stargate Atlantis, John Sheppard/Rodney McKay, TerraformingIn which Rodney is changing the face of science and John is reaping some unexpected benefits.





	Waiting To Be Known

**Author's Note:**

  * For [squidgie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/squidgie/gifts).



“Hey. Major. Pass me that spool of cable.”

The request was accompanied by staccato finger snapping, and John was certain he was developing an eye twitch because of it. He was also pretty sure Rodney didn’t know his name, even though they’d been working together for the last several weeks.

Well, two could play the annoying game. John nudged the cable over with his foot, never moving off the crate he was sitting on. He casually turned the page of his book even though he hadn’t finished reading the previous one.

“How are you even military?” Rodney complained. “Aren’t you supposed to follow orders?”

“You’re not my CO,” John reminded him.

Rodney muttered something that sounded an awful lot like a slur against Americans, but he grabbed the coil and lay back down on the floor underneath the console.

John watched him surreptitiously around the edge of the book. The guy was a huge brainiac, which is why he’d been chosen for the mission. He was also a huge pain in the ass, which John figured was why they’d yanked _him_ out of Antarctica and made him Rodney’s de facto keeper.

Why else would they send someone with John’s military record on such a prestigious mission?

And okay. The guy was good looking, in a way that pushed a lot of John’s buttons – broad shoulders, muscled thighs, and dexterous fingers – but he had a tendency to be condescending and snarky and thoughtless. John never knew he could be turned on and annoyed all at the same time.

“Okay, that should do it.”

Rodney crawled out from under the console, then bent down to retrieve his tools. His ass added a huge plus in the ‘this science dick is sexy’ column.

“Radek. I’m set on this end,” Rodney said, using the PA system instead of the personal communication devices.

_I am ready to initiate sequence_ , was the tinny reply.

Radek Zelenka was the other big brain on the mission. He and Rodney were about to revolutionize terraforming which, if it worked, would give a huge bump to the space program. Radek was working in Pod5 with his own keeper, Captain Evan Lorne.

The four of them were the only occupants of Mars Base ERB.

“You might want to take your nose out of that book, Major. Scientific history is being made.”

“That’s what you said yesterday,” John reminded Rodney.

“And I would’ve done it yesterday if that component hadn’t shorted out. Which won’t happen this time. But feel free to keep reading about vapid Russian aristocrats.”

John rolled his eyes and dog-eared the page he was on. He hadn’t really been reading it anyway. “Amaze me,” he challenged.

“Begin sequence,” Rodney said, looking nervous despite his confident words.

_Sequence beginning._

Rodney’s fingers flew across the console’s touch screen as he did his portion of the sequencing.

“On my mark,” Rodney said. John couldn’t help holding his breath. “Initiate.”

The floor started to vibrate, quickly amping up to a level that had John worried his teeth were going to shake out of his mouth. Rodney’s eyes were glued to the console screen and from the expression on his face he was feeling cautiously optimistic.

_Levels holding_ , Radek reported.

“I can see that!” Rodney snapped back. There was some muttering in Czech over the PA; John had lived around Radek long enough to recognize a few key curses.

The vibration slowly bled away until it was barely noticeable, and John didn’t need to ask if that was good or bad because Radek was hooting and hollering and Rodney had a smug look on his face as he beamed down at the console.

John turned to look out one of the view ports, but all he saw was the same old red dust that was always there. “I was expecting more.”

“This isn’t a movie, Major. It’s not going to instantly rain and turn everything green.” If Rodney was trying to sound like his usual snappish self, he was failing miserably. His mouth, which normally twisted down, was curled up in a grin. “This is just the first step. We’ve introduced more carbon dioxide to stimulate the greenhouse effect, and created an artificial magnetic field that’ll help mitigate the evaporation of surface liquids.”

John was more of a math guy himself, but he could appreciate the excitement of the moment just from how well it looked on Rodney. His eyes were bright, his color high, and he had a really disarming smile.

“Consider me amazed,” John said with a smirk of his own.

“Major, we’re at the forefront of a new chapter of human exploration and evolution. You better fucking be amazed.”

Before John knew what was happening, Rodney was leaning down and kissing him, his big hands resting on the taller crate behind the one John was sitting on, effectively trapping John between his arms.

John didn’t spare a thought for military regs – they were on Mars, for fuck’s sake – he just kissed Rodney back, reveling in the feel of that snarky, clever mouth moving on his. Whatever the reason they decided to send him on the Mars mission, John was glad for it now.

_We go down in history books for this_ , Radek said over the PA. _We are reforming whole planet! Rodney? Come in? Can you hear me? I think there must be something wrong with communications._

_Let’s just give him a minute, Doc_ , Lorne replied, amusement lacing his voice.

“Gonna need more than a minute,” Rodney mumbled against John’s mouth. “If that’s okay with you. John.”

John absolutely didn’t melt a little inside when he heard Rodney use his actual name instead of his rank. But he was totally on board to be the first guy to have sex on Mars.

“Roger that. Rodney.”

“Idiot,” Rodney said, but there was more kissing so John decided not to take it personally.

_Maybe we should get something to eat while we wait_ , Lorne suggested to Radek. _And turn off the PA_.

John was too distracted to be embarrassed.

**Author's Note:**

>  **AN:** Mars Base ERB is named for Edgar Rice Burroughs, who wrote the John Carter series of books set on a fictionalized version of Mars. Just 'cause. Title pulled from a Carl Sagan quote: “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.”


End file.
